Gopher-trap.



A. HERRMANN-Gp-I. N. GOLLODAY.

GOTHER TRAP.

APPLICATION? FILED JAN. 31 1908.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

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"and IsAAo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR HERRMANN AND ISAAC N GOLLODAY, OF OOLMA, CALIFORNIA.

comma- RAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR HERRMA'NN N. GoLLoDAY, citizens of the United States, residing at Colma, in the county of San Mateo and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Gopher- Trap, of which the following is a specification in such full and clear terms as will enable those skilled in the art to construct and use the same.

This invention relates to traps used for the purpose of catching and killing gophers and other rodents of the burrowing kind and its obj ectis to provide means to prevent the animal from coverin' the trigger With't pile of fine'dirt which wil prevent the tra from-being sprung. These small anima s 'ush a large-amount of .fine dirt ahead of t em in their burrowings and this dirt is usually pushed over the trap and under the trigger so thatwhen the animals foot comes in contact with the trigger the dirt supports the trigger and holds the trap in its original position and allows the animal to pass over it with impunity.

In the drawings in which the same numeral is applied to the same parts throughout, Fig. ure 1 is a perspective view of the trap, and Fig. 2 is a cross section view of the trap showing the trigger casing.

The numeral 1 represents. the mains of the trap which has the common llfting spring 2 to close the jaws 10 and 11. At one side of the main spring 1 is the arm livvhich hasthe latch 5 secured to it, as is the trigger 6, said trigger having a larger round plate 7 ates through a slot in the pring for the animal to place its foot on. The trouble withv a trap made in this way without any additional feature is that the animal pushes fine dirt over and under the foot trigger thus preventing it from being ushed down when the animal steps on it. vent the dirt from being pushed under the trigger the small pan 8 is secured to the main spring 1, said pan being of substantially the same size as the foot plate 7. In order that it. may be easy to set the trap a very small pin is secured to the foot plate and it operside of the pan 8.

When dirt is pushed over the trap it cannot get under the foot plate and the slightest weight on the same springs the j awe and catches the animal.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

In a gopher trap, the combination of a pair of spring pressed jaws, means for holding the jaws open and including means for springing them, a. pan through which the springing means moves, and a setting pin attached to the'springing means and passing through the side of the pan.

'In testimony whereof we have set our hands this 26 day of December A. D. 1907, in the presence of the. two-subscribed witnesses.

' ARTHUR HERRMANN. I ISAAC N. GOLLODAY. -Witnesses:

W. T. HESS,

E. G. MEDINA.

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